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Journal Entries: American Revolution Danny Cho Thursday, February 27, 14

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Journal Entries:American Revolution

Danny Cho

Thursday, February 27, 14

March 25, 1765: John StaitonTheir  enmity  toward  us  lighted  up  so  quickly  like  matchsticks.  It  was  visible  that  they  abhorred  us  so  much.    After  the  7  years  war  as  known  as  the  French  and  Indian  war,  our  @inancial  suddenly  decreased.  We  didn’t  want  to  lose  our  colonies,  so  we  sent  ten  thousand  armies  called  red  coats  to  America.  However  we  needed  lots  of  money  to  care  them,  because  they  ate  a  lot  and  wore  a  lot.  When  ever  the  British  parliament  came  out  with  new  tax  law  it  made  American  crazier.  I  personally  think  we  should  have  used  violence  or  anything  to  keep  them  down  and  keep  them  away  from  rebelling.  

I  am  29  years  old  and  I  follow  British  monarchy  and  I’m  always  loyal  to  my  country  Britain.  British  parliament  passed  the  stamp  act  and  American  people  could  not  stand  it.  In  my  eyes  they  were  just  small  bugs  trying  to  survive.  They  were  abject.  Every  time  they  tried  to  repeal  it,  it  was  abnegated.  We  were  the  best  and  we  were  undefeated.  American  was  out  of  our  eyes,  they  weren’t  even  rival  of  ours,  it  was  just  our  colony.

All  the  news,  licenses,  document  and  all  the  printed-­‐paper  were  taxed.  We  were  desperate  for  money,  after  we  moved  to  America  we  lacked  money  and  this  is  what  we  chose  to  do.  Before  we  tried  something  called  sugar  act.  Americans  took  sugar  as  important  thing  in  their  life  so  we  taxed  it  with  higher  price  to  gain  money.  However  we  had  to  repeal  it  cause  they  seemed  poor  to  us.  Then  there  is  the  stamp  act,  which  was  just  passed.  They  were  furious,  everyone  raised  their  voices  and  told  speech  about  kicking  us  out  of  their  land;  they  said  we  were  some  kind  of  tyrant.  Americans  called  it  the  taxation  without  representation.  They  didn’t  mind  paying  taxes  to  their  own  government  because  they  elected  them  but  they  thought  it  was  unfair  paying  to  us.  However  our  thoughts  were  different,  our  opinion  was  that  we  were  the  ruler  and  we  had  right  to  control  them  because  we  were  always  stronger  than  them.  

Yesterday,  I  heard  news  that  the  Americans  broke  into  the  tax-­‐collecting  place  and  broke  tax  collectors  belongings.  That  was  when  the  British  Parliament  repealed  the  stamp  act.  There  were  bell  ranging  everywhere  in  the  city,  because  the  Americans  were  happy  about  the  fact  that  they  didn’t  have  to  pay  tax  to  us  anymore.  After  this  I  kind  of  understood  their  feelings  because  they  are  weak,  and  miserable.  

We  still  have  lots  of  days  left  in  our  colony,  America.  We  can  still  rule  them  and  get  a  good  control  of  them.  Americans  are  vindictive  and  we  have  to  be  careful  but  the  fact  that  we  are  the  strongest  will  never  change,  because  they  are  hopeless.  

Thursday, February 27, 14

December 18, 1773: John StaitonThey  were  not  ordinary  snowballs  those  were  deadly.  The  red  coats  were  bombarded  with  hard  snowball  stuffed  with  ice,  oyster  shell,  and  stone.  I  wasn’t  there  and  didn’t  see  it  with  my  own  eyes  but  I  heard  there  was  a  @ight  between  the  red  coats  and  townspeople.  This  happened  3  years  ago,  I  can’t  remember  the  exact  date  but  it  was  like  March  5th.  

It  was  somber  outside,  cold  and  snowy.  A  boy  came  along  and  began  shouting  insults  at  the  soldier.  The  soldier  dashed  out  of  his  box  and  hit  the  boy  with  his  musket.  Then  the  boy  ran  away  crying.  But  soon  he  came  back  with  his  friends  and  threw  snowball  at  the  guard.  Stupid  kids,  if  I  just  think  about  those  kids  I  can’t  control  my  anger  and  beast  living  inside  me.  Anyway,  red  coats  loaded  their  gun  and  aimed  at  them.  But  captain  Thomas  Preston  came  and  told  the  kids  to  go  home.  However  they  did  not.  They  kept  on  insulting  them,  so  the  soldiers  shot  their  musket  and  5  were  dead.  Why  only  @ive?  They  should  have  just  massacred  them  and  show  them  they  can’t  insult  us  never  again.  

I’m  37  years  old.  I  thought  the  American  would  be  quiet  after  the  Boston  @ight,  which  ended  with  our  victory.  But  they  did  another  stupid  thing.  When  three  British  ships  were  coming  with  90,000  pounds  of  tea  the  Americans  were  there  waiting.    After  the  Boston  massacre,  parliament  had  repealed  the  Townshend  act,  except  for  the  tax  on  tea.  Tea  was  the  only  British  product  that  the  Americans  refused  to  buy.  Our  great  prime  minister  thought  that  if  the  Americans  had  no  other  choice  they  would  buy  the  tea  imported  from  Britain.  Americans  were  outraged,  about  this  fact.  Did  they  think  they  could  beat  us,  with  military?  That  night  Americans  dressed  up  as  Indians  and  entered  the  ship.  Then  disguised  Americans  dumped  all  the  tea  out  of  the  ships.  This  happened  in  December  18,  1773,  and  they  call  it  the  Boston  tea  party.  

After  the  Boston  tea  party  my  majesty  was  furious,  how  dare  this  happen.  So  the  parliament  passed  new  laws  designed  to  govern  the  colonies  more  strictly  than  ever.  This  was  what  we  wanted.  Americans  were  suffering  and  they  called  it  the  intolerable  act.  I  was  so  happy  about  the  fact  that  we  were  ruling  them;  I  wanted  to  call  it  the  best  act.  

By,  now  war  seemed  certain.  The  Americans  knew  that  we  could  crush  their  militia.  So  they  did  what  weak  people  do,  unite.  Delegates  from  all  the  colonies  were  invited  to  Philadelphia,  and  this  was  the  @irst  continental  congress.  On  September  5,  1774,  @ifty-­‐six  delegates  met,  and  including  John  Adams.  There  was  a  huge  discrepancy  between  two  opinions.  One  was  @ighting  for  independence,  which  was  stupid,  and  the  other  one  was  having  a  peace  with  us.  But  they  chose  to  @ight  for  freedom.  

Freedom,  and  independence  are  bad  word  for  the  colonies.  They  are  never  getting  it  and  they  won’t  even  get  close  to  it.  

Thursday, February 27, 14

July 6th 1776: John Staiton

Our  troops  were  leading  the  war,  until  they  reached  Concord.  On  the  way  there  was  a  @ight,  at  Lexington.  8  colonists  were  dead  and  1  British  soldier  was  hurt.  However  when  we  reached  Concord  they  attacked  us  with  stronger  force.  This  @ight  ended  with  their  victory.  73  British  soldiers  were  dead,  26  missing  and  174  were  hurt.  However  the  colonists  had  49  killed,  5  missing  and  41  wounded.  This  war  happened  because  in  April  1775  general  Thomas  Gage  received  orders  to  enforce  the  Coercive  acts,  with  force  if  necessary.  

By  late  spring  1776,  John  Adams  had  concluded  that  the  colonies  needed  new  form  of  government.  Still,  Adams  felt  he  could  not  propose  independence,  as  he  feared  conservatives  would  defeat  it.  Adams  wanted  a  unanimous  vote,  but  the  debate  showed  that  some  colonies  still  opposed  the  idea.  He  agreed  to  postpone  the  vote.  Soon  after  the  approval  of  the  Declaration,  Congress  received  some  good  news.  France  and  Spain  had  agreed  to  help  the  colonists.  They  were  helping  because  they  didn’t  like  us  because  we  were  the  number  ones  in  whole  entire  Europe.  

One  year  passed  and  John  Adams  had  concluded  that  the  colonies  needed  to  be  separate  from  Britain.  After  they  even  declared  independence.  The  document  Jefferson  wrote  has  resonated  through  the  ages.    It  was  hard  to  get  a  copy  of  it  but  I  f  got  it.    The  opening  of  the  document  explained  why  the  document  was  made.  The  congress  appointed  meeting  and  told  Thomas  Jefferson  to  write  the  document.  The  document  was  not  the  @inalize  version,  Adam  and  Franklin  had  made  changes  on  Jefferson’s  work  and  re  published  it.  The  document  included  that  they  had  their  natural  right  that  cannot  be  taken  away  from  us.  It  also  said  that  if  we  keep  on  threatening  them  they  would  make  a  new  government  that  will  be  safe  and  responsible  of  caring  them.    On  July  second,  twelve  colonies  approved  the  resolution;  its  assembly  had  instructed  its  delegates  not  to  approve  independence,  but  less  than  two  weeks  they  also  agreed  on  the  independence.  Freedom  was  a  happy  word  for  the  colony  but  it  was  also  frightening  too.  

In  the  spring  of  1777,  the  British  army  launched  two  new  assaults.  But  they  were  planned  separately  and  were  not  coordinated.  General  John  Burgoyne  led  the  northern  attack.  

After  the  help  from  French  and  Spain  the  colonists  are  growing  their  power,  we  need  to  stop  them  and  colonize  them  before  they  get  too  strong.  

Thursday, February 27, 14

October 21st 1781: John StaitonAgain,  bell  was  ringing  in  the  city  like  last  time  when  stamp  act  was  repealed;  next  motion  I  took  was  blocking  my  ear.  Cacophony,  worst  thing  I  can  hear  with  my  ear,  Americans  celebrating.  Enmity  and  hatred  toward  the  Americans  took  over  me  and  I  had  to  calm  down.  I  didn’t  know  what  I  was  going  to  do  next.    How  cans  this  happen?  We  had  the  strongest  army  in  the  world  but  how.  I’m  pretty  sure  it’s  because  the  French  army  helped  the  Americans.  .  Like  me  lots  of  other  Britain  couldn’t  believe  it,  we  wanted  to  take  it  as  false  and  just  laugh  but  it  wasn’t  easy  for  us.  

Cornwallis  launched  a  Virginia  campaign.  His  7500  men  carried  out  raids,  harassing  our  enemy  whenever  they  could.  By  August  1781  Cornwallis  had  reached  the  Yorktown.  American  moved  quickly  to  surround  and  contains  us.  Soon  after,  French  forces  joined  them.  In  a  September  naval  battle  near  Yorktown,  the  French  defeated  our  @leet  of  ships.  Why  are  the  French  helping  the  Americans,  I’m  pretty  sure  they  are  interested  in  the  colony  too.  Anyway,  that  was  not  the  end.  The  British  could  not  help  Cornwallis  army  escape  or  bring  reinforcements.  By  late  September,  Washington  reached  the  area  with  more  army.  His  men  were  16000  and  Cornwallis  was  only  8000.  At  October  Cornwallis  could  not  tolerate  it  and  he  picked  up  white  @lag.  

When  the  Revolution  began  we  had  the  strongest  army  in  the  world.  I’m  not  exaggerating  it,  we  had  it,  and  we  had  power.  However  why,  how?  Our  army  was  all  experienced  unlike  Americans  militia.  We  had  a  strong  supporter  too,  the  king.  We  had  huge  amount  of  economic  resources  and  my  majesty  taxed  the  Americans  to  support  us.  But  the  colonies  had  to  make  a  government,  army,  money,  they  started  from  bottom  but  we  were  at  top.  At  the  end  it  was  their  victory.  I  can’t  accept  the  result,  Cornwallis  why  did  you  surrender.  

One  day,  my  friend  told  me  some  @law  in  our  military.  This  was  a  new  fact  I  learned.  We  never  had  clear  strategy  that  can  crush  the  American,  so  this  ruined  our  self.  Our  military  plan  was  always  outdated  because  it  took  such  a  long  time  to  send  messages;  if  we  had  a  plan  the  Americans  changed  their  plan.  We  didn’t  know  that  we  were  not  united  until  the  war  was  over.  We  thought  we  were  united  but  some  British  parliament  had  opposed  the  policies  of  the  government.  At  last  our  biggest  reason  was  because  we  didn’t  have  clear  reason  of  winning  the  war.  We  just  wanted  America  and  wanted  them  to  abandon  independence  but  they  were  different.  They  were  @ighting  for  their  life,  for  survival.  

The  war  has  @inally  ended  and  I’m  still  not  happy  about  the  result.  However  I  accept  it  because  I’m  innate  British  gentleman.  We  still  have  lots  of  days  to  colonize  them,  so  we  will  never  give  up.  

Thursday, February 27, 14

November 7th 1783: John StaitonIndependence  a  desperate  word  for  the  Americans  but  also  a  threatening  word.  They  were  now  independent  from  us  and  they  had  their  new  way  of  living.  One  day  my  friend  visited  my  home,  he  was  an  American  but  he  heard  both  side  of  Britain  and  Americans  opinion.  He  had  a  big  smile  on  his  face;  it  was  obvious  why  he  had  it.  First  thing  he  talked  about  was  treaty  of  Paris.  He  was  so  happy  about  the  fact  we  were  now  peace  and  the  war  was  over.  But  I  have  no  remorse  or  I’m  not  disappointed  at  our  soldiers.  Now  whole  city  is  different  from  when  the  war  was  still  going.  

It  is  clear  that  we  lost  the  war  to  America.  After  the  war  both  Britain  and  American  were  in  huge  debt,  our  economies  were  collapsing.  We  are  now  working  to  get  our  power  back  and  @inancial.  Although  we  lost,  I  think  it  was  a  good  try.  

The  treaty  was  @inalized  by  November.  We  granted  the  Untied  States  all  the  land  east  of  the  Mississippi  river.  The  treaty  of  Paris  required  us  Britain  to  abandon  our  forts  in  the  western  land,  but  it  wasn’t  easy  for  us.  So  we  were  @inding  ways  to  keep  the  land  we  wanted.  Americans  had  not  met  their  own  treaty  obligations.  After  all,  debtors  were  not  paying  the  money  they  owed  to  British  merchants,  and  we  loyalists  were  not  being  compensated  for  lost  property.  We  said  that  until  these  problems  were  solved  we  were  not  going  to  leave  the  forts.  The  other  dispute  was  with  Spain.  So  John  Jay  worked  out  a  treaty  with  Spain  that  regained  American’s  access  to  the  river.

The  result  of  the  war  is  not  satisfying  but  there’s  nothing  we  can  do  about  it.  That  is  our  destiny  and  it’s  how  it  is  suppose  to  be.  Now  I’m  looking  out  the  window  watching  kids  running  around  happily.  I  couldn’t  see  that  smile  when  the  war  was  still  on.  This  revolutionary  war  changed  lots  of  thought  of  mine.  I  always  thought  power  and  wealth  was  the  best  but  for  Americans  independence  was  @irst  thing.  I  don’t  know  how  much  is  left  with  my  life  but  I’ll  use  it  freely  and  have  freedom.  Who  ever  read  my  journal  I  hope  you  could  learn  the  moral  from  it.  

Thursday, February 27, 14